Afraid
by Chocolatheque
Summary: sequel to butts


AN: Wheeeee, I'm late for White Day! I suck! ;P Oh well, that's what happens when one has a limit of two hours a day on the computer... heh. And don't ask why I switched to saying "Lettuce" instead of "Retasu". o.O I don't even know... Anyway... sorry it's so OOC... o.O Enjoyeth anyway.

Disclaimer: Tokyo Mew Mew? Hm... (pulls out "Things I Do Not Own" list, which stretches about 20 miles long) Let's see... Tokyo Mew Mew, Tokyo Mew Mew... ah! Here it is. Yup, don't own it.

---

"F times X equals X/2 if X is... even... but if X is... odd... argh..."

The eldest alien was hunched over a paper covered with dozens of equations that would have made even Keiichirou go cross-eyed. But it was especially hard for the boy to think because his mind was elsewhere.

His eyes slowly glanced at a clock that hung on the wall, ticking and tocking softly with every second, seemingly trying to remind him that time was precious and he things to do other than daydream.

Pai groaned and muttered something that he probably didn't even comprehend, what with his thoughts being so scattered. He stood up, stretched his long legs, and began to pace about the room.

"It's already 8 PM... I'd probably be too late, anyway," he sighed softly, approaching his window.

Today was White Day, and he desperately wanted to be on earth right now.

'I can't though,' he continuously told himself. 'I have work to do... and it's a silly thing anyway... why would she want to see me? Why would anyone want to see me for this day?'

He let out another sigh. In trying to convince himself that he didn't want to see Lettuce, he only made himself want to go even more.

Opening a drawer on his desk, he began to dig through random pieces of paper, pencils, and other assorted things, when he found what he was looking for; the chocolate Lettuce had given him on Valentine's day. It was still wrapped in it's shiny, glittering packaging, completely intact and like new. He had decided that day not to open it, no matter how much he wanted to, so he could save it.

Pai hated being sentimental about anything, especially a gift from a human girl, but he couldn't seem to help it.

The fact that she was human could be overlooked, now that humans and aliens had reconciled, but just fawning over any girl was what Pai dreaded.

He wasn't particularly shy.

He wasn't worried about being rejected.

He was just terrified of love in general.

Pai's parents had been the result of arranged marriages (which had only lost popularity on their planet in recent years), and they hated each other. Pai's mother took a liking to Pai's father, but her love was not returned. Her husband had no time for love, and the two grew to be miserable. Pai was born only because his father wanted a child to inherit his laboratory. His father studied pretty much everything, ranging from humans, to microscopic science, to astronomy. His research was immense, and he was set on having a smart child to continue his work.

'Well, dad, you got what you wanted,' Pai thought, fondling the chocolate tentatively. 'I just wish I could too.'

When Pai was about five, his parents decided they would be happier if they went "in different directions," so they divorced. Pai originally was going to live with his father, but he was killed the next week by a person of an enemy nation. So Pai lived with his mother.

"That was a cheerful week," he commented cynically at the recollection.

His mother was eerily happy when his father died, and it disturbed the young Pai. If not loving someone anymore made her this happy, could love really be all that bad? Could it really make someone that miserable?

Because of this, Pai was terrified of falling in love.

He never wanted to be as miserable as his parents. Not ever.

But Lettuce was so hard not to think about for him.

Upon first encounter, he didn't really think much of anything of her, except that he was to kill her. Not exactly love at first sight.

However, as he grew to realize what a sweet girl she was, he began to wonder if he could ever possibly love her. These were the feelings he feared, yet he wanted so much to embrace them. Lettuce was the understanding one, the emotional one, the shy one, the one who'd do anything for those she cared about. And he couldn't help but acknowledge how much he adored those attributes.

"What'cha doing, Pai?"

Pai jumped, startled, and turned around to see Taruto with a questioning expression.

"Ah, I'm... doing some research."

"Oh, I see. What're you holding?" The young boy indicated the parcel in the older boy's hands.

Pai, having forgotten he was even still holding it, quickly placed it back into his drawer from whence it came. "Nothing of your concern."

Unfortunately, that did not satiate Taruto's curiosity. Especially since Pai was involved; Pai almost never hid secrets. "If you're not telling me, it must be something good."

A glare marred Pai's expression as he proceeded to usher the chestnut haired boy out of the room. "It's time for you to go."

"Is it from the fish girl?"

Pai froze. How did he... "Y-you were spying on me that day?"

Taruto shrugged bashfully at having blown his cover. "I wanted to see what you were up to, and I saw you and her talking."

Unsure whether to throw the little spy out the window or just strangle him right there, Pai lost the ability to speak.

"Today is White Day, isn't it? Aren't you gonna at least go say hi to her?"

Snapping out of his temporary paralysis, Pai answered slowly, "I... I don't know... anyway, curiosity killed the cat, and I think it's time for you to go to bed."

This prompted an immature moan from Taruto. "Aww, I'm not tired yet though!"

---

After the youngest alien had been sent to bed, Pai had sat down to start working again, but not on his research. He was writing a letter.

Each stroke was slow and precise, as he wanted it to be just so. He had never really written a letter to someone since he really had no need, but he wanted to give something to Lettuce, no matter how small or insignificant.

It was short. It was blunt. But Pai had no idea how else to put his thoughts to paper, though he desperately wish he could. Looking about his small workspace, hoping for some kind of inspiration to improve the letter, a book on his shelf caught his dark eyes.

He picked it up and brushed the dust off of it's leather cover. Pai never really read it, though he may have glanced through it once or twice before. It was a book of poetry, a human book of poetry. He looked at the contents and found a poem to his liking and jotted it down to accompany his letter.

Sealing the two papers within an envelope, he addressed it to Lettuce, and in a blink of an eye, disappeared, on his way to earth.

---

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" an emerald haired girl greeted the birds perched outside her window, smiling. The sun shined warmly and welcomed Lettuce to the new day.

After taking in the beauty of the sky, Lettuce's eyes were drawn to a piece of paper that sat on her window sill.

"How long has that been there?" she wondered outloud, picking it up gently. "'To Lettuce Midorikawa'?"

She tore the seal off slowly, and pulled the notes out with her slender fingers.

"'Dear Lettuce-san,'" she read quietly, "'By the time you read this, it will probably be too late, and I apologize. I don't know exactly how to put this or why I'm bothering you, but I wanted to thank you and wish you a happy White Day. You're a good, kind person.'"

Lettuce became flustered, now really wanting to know who it was from. She continued to read the second note.

"'On the horizon, a sun is setting, shining. But you shine brighter.'"

Looking at the paper with a puzzled expression, she wondered some more, "A haiku?"

She began to look desperately all over the envelope and notes, hoping to find a signature of whoever they were from. Her blue eyes caught something written on the back of one of the notes.

"'F times X equals X/2 if X is even'?" she read to herself, confused even further. "And I don't recognize this handwriting... could it be...?"

She recollected how she had (literally) ran into Pai last month and how she had shyly given him chocolate.

"From... Pai-san?"

Her face heated up at the mere thought, and she considered passing out from embarrassment on the spot.

Deciding against it, Lettuce paced around in a little circle, wondering what to make of the notes. Since all of the wondering was making her head hurt, she just tacked the notes to her wall and left them there.

"They're not exactly romantic, but they're sweet..."

Smiling, still feeling a little awkward about the whole thing, she left the room.

"Happy White Day to you too, Pai-san, where ever you are."

-Owari-

---

AN: Okay, that ending seriously needs help. o.O But it was getting WAY too long for my liking, so I just decided to end it there. Sorry for being so badly OOC on Pai's part, too... the story just kinda got a mind of its own and ran with it. o.o But I hope you Pai and Lettuce fans liked it. :3 And all of you Kisshu and Ichigo fans need to go read cruelfeline's White Day fic, "Right On Time". Is awesome.  
Okie, dat be all! Bai-bai, nyo!  
-Kitty


End file.
